It's interesting how things come together. Yesterday I started writing my new novel and just a few days earlier I thought of that special ingredient it was missing- ghosts. I won't go into the meat of the story, but my protagonist gets a visit from a ghost in 2014 who died in the thirteenth century and that got me thinking: is there an afterlife? The short answer is no, I don't think there is. However, the other day when I was walking home from work, I saw two blokes in suits walking towards me. At first I thought they worked at Westlands across the road (helicopter company), but one of them held a book close to his chest and then I knew who they were. They stopped me and explained they were Christian missionaries and then proceeded to ask me what I thought the meaning of life was. What I wanted to say was: 'Dude, I'm walking home with earphones on, does it look like I'm thinking about my purpose in life?' What I told them was that 'I hadn't thought about it.' A lie, obviously, I just didn't want to get caught in whatever faith they were selling.

Those same chaps asked me whether or not I was brought up in a religious family and all sorts of questions that told me that I should have told them right away that I was in a hurry. No, I wasn't brought up in a religious family, I've never found faith in supernatural beings or fairy tales and the short answer is: no, I don't believe in god because I have a brain. Their faces after I was done were less than impressed. But, that question, is there an afterlife? It's troubled me for a while as I'm sure it has all of us, but I'd be terrified if there turns out to be an afterlife. We all know heaven and hell, right? Do good things and St. Peter lets you in, but if you do bad things, the devil drags you into hell. But, remember, God loves you! Poppycock! This is was one of the topics in 'The God Delusion' when Richard Dawkins talks about finding morality in religion. Call me a cynic, but I don't believe there is a single completely selfless, self-sacrificing saint out there. We're all selfish people roaming the earth, and I think we'll always think about number one before somebody else more often than not. There are giving people out there full of love, but even they have holes in their character. None of us are clean under our skin.

Life shouldn't be a trial for something bigger, better or worse, it should be just what it is. If I do good things then I should be rewarded in my own life, I shouldn't have to wait until I'm dead to find out I can live among fairies in a city of clouds or whatever else it is. If life after death is like one long dream you might imagine coma patients might have then that's fair enough. Then again, maybe they're one and the same thing. Either way, our choices and our outcomes shouldn't have any impact on a fictional world beyond the grave, if there is one. With so many faiths out there, if there is only one outcome at death then they must all be wrong. When you die, I believe that's it. No ghosts, no reincarnation and no second chances. Just an eternal sleep. People give atheists a bad rap for being gloomy. It's not gloomy at all, it's realistic. I find that more comforting than powers beyond our control. Science never lies.

If I had the power to erase all religion from the world, I still wouldn't do it. No matter how gullible some people can be, I like to think I understand why they find comfort in belief. The world, the universe and life itself is scary, enormous and for almost all of us it brings misery and pain. If it helps people sleep at night then go ahead, I won't object. But when they let such beliefs manipulate what they do, for example, morality and ethics then I suggest they look at themselves and question everything. Going to church doesn't make you a better person in the same way killing a bug makes you a bad person. Those missionaries who stopped me the other day had a goal, they even tried to get me to pray. To say I felt uncomfortable is an understatement. If I couldn't find faith in the obvious ways, how the hell would I find it by praying by the roadside at rush hour? Wouldn't the traffic spoil the serenity of the event? I don't know, all I know is that there is more conclusive science about the universe than there is about religious belief. Yeah, there are books but somebody wrote them with a hell of an imagination.

I've almost finished planning my next novel and throughout that time, I've had to keep reminding myself that there's nothing wrong with how I work. This is because I've been reading loads of articles in Writing Magazine where authors explain how they work and other writers telling us how to work. I'm always interested in learning how others get down to write, but it always makes me wonder if I'm doing it wrong. When I read 'Stephen King: On Writing', he explained how he planned a novel and his words made a lot of sense, but I'm not comfortable about abandoning my practices to try somebody else's without any guarantee of its success. I guess it's something that's been bothering me for a while.

What annoys me about articles about writing (at least 'how to do' ones), they always seem to talk down at me, as if I'm not good enough. I know that's in my head, but I can't help it. Maybe there's some truth to it. That's why I don't think I could ever write a 'how to write' book, I wouldn't want to talk down to anybody about something that should be fun and a means of escape. I think 'how to write' is generally a bullshit concept anyway, it's creative, rules shouldn't chain us down as much as they do. I think all you need to do is ask yourself where you want to be as a writer, and with your answer, you'll know. These rules you find such as 'don't use adverbs' and use 'said to follow dialogue' should be seen more as guidelines than anything else. You can follow them if you want. Hell, tons of other authors don't. But, you don't need to do what most authors do. Mind you, those two guidelines mentioned above are damn handy. Anyway, I've digressed. I've always felt quite envious of authors who say, and rather smugly I think, that they can write a novel on the fly and let the characters carry the story. Stephen King is one such author. Fair enough to King, he knows his chops and he's written more than enough to have the confidence to do so. Me? I need a plan, a need a safety net otherwise I can't get going. I wrote my novella without a plan, but I did have a general idea where the story would go and I knew the main theme. Mind you, novellas are much shorter and easier for me to write without a plan.

I write down the story in a notebook and summarize the chapters. The plan itself is quite vague and it usually sounds boring, but I know that when I get down to write the book, I'll find the guts of the story and there I can get going. The plan is just a safety net, a reminder that the story can go somewhere. And anyway, I know that when I start writing it, things will change and I'll turn away from my plan and take different routes because I'll probably know the best natural place to start the next chapter which I wouldn't know as much when planning it. When writing, things happen I could never plan for and they are usually better than the plan anyway.

I'd never tell anybody how to write their book, it's probably best that you find out for yourself. Quite often, I've found trying somebody else's techniques have left me pissed off because they didn't work for me. I'm trying to learn not to get influenced by 'how to write' articles, instead just learning from my mistakes, from reading novels, from writing and from the writer's group I go to. Then again, sometimes it's the way some writers tell their advice that annoys me, like I said earlier, smug. That's only a few though. I'm not great with advice, I don't have the answers and believe me, I'd like to know them. I just do what works for me. And that's all that matters. As long as you're working in a way that you find comfortable, then that's all you need.

I for one have thought many a time what I would do when the inevitable zombie plagues hits our happy little planet. Are zombies real or just impossible science? Who knows, but that won't matter when Z-Day dawns upon us. The creative world must believe so too since there are hundreds of the damned movies, video-games and books and do you really think they write them just for larks? Nope. They're training us for when the flesh-eaters come and by god if I haven't taken notice. So, I thought why not jot down what I'd do based on what I've seen in media and what I've seen others do? I've played enough zombie games to have some inkling as to what I might do. But, who knows. Maybe I'll be the first one to die or maybe I could be the carrier. YOU. JUST. DON'T. KNOW.

Now, I'm writing under the idea of what I think I'd do. Who knows if it's actually an accurate assessment of my character. Since I've not lived through an apocalypse yet, I don't know if my 'end-times' me is a brave one or sociopath. Maybe there should be a boot camp for aspiring survivalists . Your theory could be zombie books like 'World War Z', you could play games like Tell-Tale's 'The Walking Dead' and 'Left 4 Dead' to understand zombie situations and to see how your character fares in terms of heroics and cowardice and you could learn to craft weapons. Why hasn't anybody done this yet?

Zed Rule #1) Lone WolfIf games like 'Left 4 Dead' have taught me anything, it's that people slow you down. Sure, they can help you with the hordes and help you out of sticky situations, but what they are at the end of the day is baggage. They just hold you down and create problems where problems shouldn't exist. Look at the TV show, 'The Walking Dead' with the brilliantly named cast known as 'the group'. Always arguing, bickering and then you end up stuck with a one-track wannabe samurai who won't talk or a kid who think's he earns the right to call himself a man because he ends up eating chocolate pudding on a roof while his dad's comatose, again. Don't settle for spanners like 'The Walking Dead' group when you could work alone. And for crying out loud, don't cheat on your best friend's wife in the dark days. That'll cause all kinds of problems. Mind you, working alone does open you up to other issues such as loneliness and before you know it, you're talking to a volleyball. I know 'Castaway' isn't a zombie movie, but I think the point holds validity. I know I'd rather survive alone, especially if the zombies run. Good god I hope they don't run. But, it's a judgement call. If you're going to team up, do so with people you trust. No brainer.

Zed Rule #2) Don't Catch ReligionIn 'The Walking Dead' show, in one episode, Herschel believes god has a plan to cure the dead and rid the plague. Aside from that awful idea, he also lures zombies into his barn and freaking feeds them! Don't feed the problem! Anyway, his thoughts are clouded because the supernatural being he believes in can save him when it was god that made the monsters in the first place (according to him). Well, something like that. Basically, the world is full of man-eaters and the last thing you need to do is find god when it's pretty clear that the apparent 'all-loving' phenomenon has gotten sick of mankind. Find bacon and water, don't find religion. Plus, if you catch religion, you're more likely to go insane and insanity is never good. Much like the priest in 'Left 4 Dead' who rings the church bell well yelling 'Ding dong! Dinner time, come and get it!' So don't do that. If anything, whack a zombie with a bible, it's thick enough to do some damage, or cross pendents maybe to stab them if nothing else is at hand. You've got to use what you can in the apocalypse. Which brings me on to point three.

Zed Rule #3) Sticks and Stones Will Break Zombies' BonesThis is England, guns are hard to come by and not all of us can break into the police station and nick their riot gear. Although, if you can, absolutely do that. No, in a lot of zombie games like 'Dead Island' and 'Dead Rising', the player can craft weapons with various bits and bobs found in the dilapidated streets of wherever they are. I recommend something sharp and long maybe. Although, I'd like something like twin hatchets, easy to use and can reduce a zombie to chum instantly. Get outfitted quickly, happily these days most things you find can hurt somebody so you should have no trouble finding a weapon. Mind you, if the zombies are like the ones in the '28 Later' films then any infected DNA that touches you will make you turn. So, maybe getting close to a zombie to cut him open isn't a good a idea. If that is the case, then maybe invest in some kind of throwing contraption or just run like hell. If you can get your hands bloody without a reanimation then go nuts, get close... but not too close.

Zed Rule #4) Your Boots Were Made for RunningI like sitting down, I don't have a gym membership. I don't eat loads and if anything, I'm probably underweight. That said, GODDAMN IT, RUN! It's the apocalypse, no need to care about being a wimp. You've been given a free pass to be a wuss. If it saves your life then it's smart. Sometimes, the horde grows and you're face to face with a swarm you couldn't possibly fight through. So you shake a leg. If the zombies walk then you should be OK, but if they sprint, maybe that gym membership turned out to be a good idea. Anyway, always run if it's the better option. Which may cause problems if you're in a group. Then you may get done in for being selfish or leaving others to die. 'Left 4 Dead' nailed this with it's co-op play sometimes, the best thing to do is indeed run.

Zed Rule #5) Gimme ShelterA stones throw away from my house lies a supermarket. 'Oh, a good place to hide out.' WRONG! Chances are people will be there too and what about the staff? They might be infected and anyway, tons of people will go for the supplies and chances are things will get violent. Thanks to the source material out there, it's pretty much fact that the apocalypse makes us all crazy and before you know it, the neighbour you thought you liked is lobbing tin cans at you. I say lob them back. Anyway, find somewhere to hole out, preferably somewhere well hidden, well fortified and if possible, mobile. You won't be able to stay in one place too long. Zombies may be stupid, but they still catch on. And the living will probably find you eventually.

I think that covers pretty much everything. If there's one group of people who'll survive the most, I reckon it's gamers. They've been in training for years. Anyway, who knows, this is what I think I'd do but it could be entirely different. Beneath all of these words, I'm still human. Maybe I'll make a rookie mistake and I'll join the undead ranks. Hope not.

I enjoyed writing my top three books so much, I thought I'd share my top three albums and explain why. Second to books, music is my... hate this word, but I can't think of an alternative. Passion. Eugh. Anyway, I've always loved music and it's hard to imagine doing things without it. Mind you, sometimes I have to write in silence, but this is not one of those times. I should explain, I like top threes more than top tens. Not quite sure why, but when thinking about it, I can name my favourite three books, movies, TV shows and albums, but when it comes to chalk up a top ten, my head hurts. Plus, 'Rise Against' recently announced that their new album is coming out sometime this summer so, of course I'm excited. The anticipation for 'Endgame' was nuts as was the album before and I'm 99% sure whatever they have cooking is going to be something quite special. Anyway, let's not lollygag anymore.3) 'Love, Ire & Song' by Frank Turner

The title pretty much sums it up. Tons of artists out there write about life and their past, but Frankie T writes from the perspective of the everyday Englishman working hard in his craft as the underdog. Before the success of 'Poetry of the Deed' and 'England Keep My Bones' (at least I think after those records came out) he became much more well known and began to establish himself outside of the UK. Anyway, he got what he deserved and what he had been working for, success. After all, that's why we work. If not then you're lying. For me, the album's anthem is 'I Knew Prufrock Before He Got Famous' which sums up the lives of his friends (although, may be fictional in the story or not) and he's saying that he's sick and tired of his friends living in the B-list when they should be in the A-list. Of course, song meanings differ from person to person, but for me, this song is the shout-out to the guys and girls out there who try everyday to make something of themselves. Frank is no stranger to punishing himself in his own songs. Tracks like 'Better Half' and 'Imperfect Tense' seem to put himself in the firing line where he's condemning himself for something or how someone deserves someone better than him. Mind you, 'Photosynthesis' is the absolute king of 'arse-kicking' songs. I wholeheartedly agree with him when he chants:

Oh when no-one's yet explained to me exactly what's so great about slaving fifty years away on something that you hateAbout meekly shuffling down the path of mediocrity, well if that's your road then take it, but it's not the road for me.

It's a full on punch-to-the-face in the argument of living for yourself, I think. I've always believed in doing what you want to do, not what your parents want you to be or what everybody else might expect you to be. If your family wants you to become a doctor, but you want to be an astronaut, be an astronaut. But, 'Love, Ire & Song' does have one or two songs that stand out for their emotions and those are 'Long Live the Queen' and 'A Love Worth Keeping'. The latter sounds like a distant love song and when Frank's yelling voices fades away at the end, it's always hauntingly beautiful. 'Long Live the Queen' is just flat-out emotional, even more so when you dive into the words.

2) 'Under My Skin' by Avril Lavigne

Lets not beat around the bush about this one, shall we? Avril Lavigne is now a full on popstar, and that's OK. However, before she started dancing about Hello Kitty, she used to write cool rock songs and soft ballads when she was younger that solidified her excellent second album as a masterpiece among her fan-base. The result was 2004's 'Under My Skin'. Unlike her debut album, this is much darker, more personal and heavier and it's all for the best. Songs here are ones you can probably relate to and when listening to it now, it always hurts because she doesn't write this sort of music anymore. That's OK, if she wants to write more upbeat radio tracks, more power to her, but I still can't help but wish the Avril with the bad attitude would come back. Let's just pretend her JUST GOT MARRIED single 'Let Me Go' didn't happen. When I heard 'Together' for the first time, I immediately thought: 'Oh, she felt this way too. I guess I'm not a freak.' It was like a light-bulb went off and there it was, my song. Not just that, but 'Fall to Pieces' presents itself as a song that seems to me about pining after a relationship long since past its prime and 'Nobody's Home' is not just a song about a runaway (who may or may not be schizophrenic), but also my favourite song she ever wrote. This will probably always be my favourite Avril Lavigne album, unless of course she goes back to this sort of music, but after the disastor that was 'Hello Kitty', I'm going to go out on a limb and say she won't. God, I hate talking bad about her.

1) 'The Sufferer & the Witness' by Rise Against

As I mentioned earlier, these guys have a new album coming out this summer and with that, I had to break out this gem again. This was the first 'Rise Against' album I ever purchased. And, Every. Single. Song is awesome. It's rare to find an album where each track is gold, but this one is just such an album. Not only is the music golden, but the lyrics. Tim McIlrath (the singer) has always been known for three things: his hair, his howling voice and his writer's touch. He has a way of writing poetry in such a way that nobody else can. In the same way every writer has their own voice and style, Tim has his as well, but he yells and screams it to anybody who'll listen. One song in particular which is fantastic in demonstrating his words is 'The Good Left Undone', especially the final chorus.

All because of you, I haven't slept in so long, but when I do I dream I'm drowning in the ocean longing for the shore where I can lay my head down inside these arms of yours. All because of you, I believe in angels, not the kind with wings, no not the kind with halos, the kind that bring you home. If home becomes a strange place I'll follow your voice. All you have to do is shout it out.

Hopefully soon, I'll have those words tattooed on my arms and there begins the quest to get sleeves. 'Survive' has also become an anthem for those who feel alone and depressed and much like Frankie T's 'Photosynthesis', it's an arse-kick. Mind you, even though I have become deaf to politics and world news (as in I hardly ever follow them anymore), I love their music and what they sing about, but now that I've gotten older (and more cynical), I now understand that I don't need to agree with everything they say. Before I thought I had to because that's what REAL FANS did. Rubbish. It was the track called 'Drones' that brought me to this album, in fact, I had heard the band before with the ancient song, 'Like the Angel' but I never followed up on it. I picked this up with the rest of their albums and there began the obsession. One might say that this album is the last of the punk rock albums they've made, but who cares? Bands should grow and try new things. Who wants the same album every year? 'The Sufferer & the Witness' is phenomenal, a true statement of how talented 'Rise Against' are and for me, their best work yet.